1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and apparatus for playing a ball game. More specifically, the present invention provides for an apparatus that enables players to engage in a fast-paced game that combines aspects of the games of volleyball and foursquare while providing a game frame that is portable and deployable in a variety of environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several prior art variations of the traditional playground game of Four Square, but they share many of the same characteristics. Typically, the game is played with an elastic ball such as a rubber playground ball on a solid ground surface such as a concrete or asphalt playground or parking area. Referring to a top view of the prior art game square arrangement shown in FIG. 1A, a large square (10) is marked on a solid horizontal surface with a permanent medium such as paint, or with a temporary marking medium such as chalk. The large square (10) is approximately sixteen feet on each side (20) (or may be larger or smaller based on the skill of the players involved), and is further equally divided with orthogonal markings into four square interior play areas (A, B, C, and D).
Referring to FIG. 1A. and FIG. 1B, to begin play, four players (60) enter the large square (10) and each individual player (60) stands in one of the four interior play areas (A, B, C, or D). The player in interior square (or in the alternative, “box”) “D” is designated as the “server,” and places a foot in the small “service box” (40) within box D (or alternatively places a foot on the corner of the large square (10) nearest to the service box (40)) and begins a rally by hitting the ball (50) by hand into any one of the other boxes (A, B, or C). Optionally, game rules may require the server to allow the ball (50) bounce once in the server's box (D) before it is struck by hand to enter another internal play box (A, B, or C), and in one variation, the ball must be served into the box diagonally opposite (B) of the server's box (D).
Once the served, the ball enters one of the other internal play boxes (A, B, or C). It is allowed to bounce once, and then the player within the box that received the serve must strike the ball by hand, returning the ball so that it may bounce within another interior box before the ball bounces again. In one version of the game, a receiving player may hit the ball to another interior box before the ball bounces in that player's play box. The rally continues by players striking and returning the ball to other internal play boxes until a player is unable to successfully return the ball to bounce within another player's box.
The player that is unable to correctly return the ball to another square is considered “out,” and leaves the game square (10), optionally moving to the end of a queue of waiting players (30). If the server was not the “out” player, the server then receives one point toward that player's individual score, with an overall goal of remaining as server and accruing points as long as possible. After the “out” player leaves the game square (10), players rotate counterclockwise (from A to D) to fill in the gap of the missing “out” player, and then a new player enters into box A from the front of the player queue (30). In this arrangement, play continues indefinitely with players rotating through the game as players go “out,” and additional players may join by simply joining the end of the player queue (30).
Referring to FIG. 2, a court (200) for the classic game of volleyball is shown. Volleyball may be played in areas such as grassy lawns and beaches, since the game does not require a ball to bounce from a solid surface. However, the game requires that a net (220) be erected in a manner that prevents it from falling over after being touched, impact from ball strikes, or from natural events such as wind. Further, the outside boundaries of the volleyball court (210) must be clearly demarked to assist in determining when a ball that hits ground was within the boundary or out of bounds. Yet in play areas such as sandy beaches, court boundaries (210) can be difficult to create in a manner that resists scuffing, player footsteps, and ball strikes. The erection of a temporary volleyball court on a soft play surface therefore presents challenges to that delay players' abilities to ability to quickly begin a game, and once the game is begun, boundaries (210) may have to be periodically redrawn.
What is needed, then, is a game that combines the excitement of volleyball with the rapid and fun game of four square. What is also needed is an apparatus that can be erected in a variety of playing environments without extended set up time. What is further needed is a gaming apparatus that is easily portable and breaks down to a size that lends itself to easy transportation and storage. What is further needed is a mechanism to create a foursquare-like game play area such as a beach or grass lawn that does not require a hard, completely flat surface with scuff-resistant edge indicia. What is further needed is an exciting, fast-paced interactive game that combines aspects of foursquare and volleyball, allowing for play on either hard or soft playing surfaces.